West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-05-13
RESTRICTION OF DIPTHERIA
baltimore SUM-

baltimore Sun.
While diptheria has not yet be-
come epidemic in any city or town
of Maryland, the State Board OF
health is advised that there are
cases existing in some of the towns
and villages of the State, and it is
believed that unless stringent meas
ures are adopted at once to restrict
the spread of the disease, we will
suffer as severely as communities in
other States have suffered from it.
The following facts in connection
with the disease have been furnished
the Sun by Dr. c. w. Chancellor,
secretary Of the State board of
health, which, if intelligently con-
sidered by health authorities, ply
sicians and citizens, may serve to
prevent an outbreak Of the disease
or check its spread where it already
exists.
/. Fact an Connection tsith DIP
Me,fa.-The real nature of dipthe-
ria is undetermined, and physicians
thus far have been unable to agree
upon any settled plan of treatment.
Where hygienic conditions are bad
the disease will spread from Il single
case and become endemic (confined
to circumscribed locality or cpl
demic prevailing generally in a
community The malady differs in
intensity from the mildest form,
which resembles simple sore throat,
to the worst type of blood poisoning,
which is intractablc from the begin
ming.
3. HOr the Disease Is COmmUni-
cated.-Diptheria is communicable
in ali its forms, either by cOntagion
or through the medium of an infec-
ted atmosphere, and when it has
once broken out in house it is la
BILE to spread through the air Of
apartments, especially in ovelcrowd-
ed and badly ventilated habitations.
Children are much more liable to the
disease than adults, and are more
subject to its violent forms. Adults
may have it so lightly as not to he
aware of its existence, and thus they
NAV disseminate itignorantly among
children. All diptheria patients and
persons in contact with them should
be considered dangerous and should
not associate with others until it is
decided by careful and intelligent
physician that they can do so with
out endangering others. This ap-
plies especially to children attend
ing public schools, churches, or as
semblies of any kind.
3. 1ctire Measures Of Precen-
hoa.-These consist, (1, in avoid
ing the special centagion; t2,) in
avoiding all crowded assemblies in
illy-ventilated rooms during the
prevalence of the disease; (3,) in
maintaining thorough cleanliness of
person and premises; a. in the
speedy removal of all vegetable and
animal refuse matters; (5,) in keep
ing cellars clean and dry; c. in
free and thorough ventilation of
dwellings, especially sleeping apart
ments; (7,) in boiling and filtering
drinking water when. there is any
suspicion as TO its purity; Is, in the
free use Of disinfectants in all places
where foul odors may possibly arise.
4. Restrictive MedsweS.-The re-
strictive measures recommended
are: (1,) prompt isolation of the
sick from the well; CD restriction
of nurses in their intercourse with
outside persons; (3,) keeping the
sick room clear OF all needless cloth
ing, carpets, drapery, &C., likely to
harbor the poison of the disease;
a., Il liberal supply of fresh air in
the sick-room, taking care to avoid
direct drafts; (5,) burning or thor
oughly disinfecting and burying,
remote from the house and source of
drinking water, all discharges from
the throat, nose, mouth, kidneys and
bowels; C, placing soiled bed and
body linen in boiling water at once,
or in water containing little chlo-
ride of lime, soda or zinc; a. dis
injecting the room in which any case
or cases of diptheria have occurred,
with all the contents, by exposure